The supplement to Pediatrics entitled "The Role of the Pediatrician in Violence Prevention" is timely, given the increasingly serious violence problem in the United States.1 Many of the supplement's recommendations are well-conceived and developed. However, the recommendation to "work toward the ultimate goal of ending corporal punishment in homes" (page 580)2 is unwarranted and counterproductive.
Before one advises against a practice approved by 88% of American parents3 and supported by 67% of primary care physicians,4 there should be sufficient scientific evidence to support the proposed change in social policy.
